Cranford Park Academy Nursery Review

Counting with objects, exploring outdoors and discovering stories give Cranford Park Academy’s nursery its character. This is the school’s own provision in Hayes, with children usually joining in September after their third birthday. Families can choose a morning, afternoon or full-time place, so the nursery has more than one pattern of attendance.

Practical exploration is a clear thread in the learning. Forest School supports early mathematics, while White Rose Education and Master the Curriculum provide named resources behind the activities. For parents, that means number work includes things children can handle and investigate.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provides the framework for nursery mathematics. In everyday language, children begin exploring numbers and shapes through practical activities. White Rose Education’s learning schemes are used alongside Master the Curriculum resources in Nursery. Counting objects, comparing amounts and trying simple calculations connect mathematical ideas to something a child can see and touch.

Outdoor activities and Forest School extend that exploration beyond the classroom. The emphasis is on investigating, giving children opportunities to work with number and shape in different contexts. Nursery number work also introduces the idea that a single group keeps its original quantity, and that having no groups means having none of the items.

Stories offer another concrete starting point for families. Recommended nursery books include Owl Babies, Lost and Found and Tilda Tries Again. These are reading suggestions, useful when choosing books to share at home. They should not be read as a promise that each title forms part of a nursery session.

In May 2023, the early-years inspection findings described children developing independence, learning about nature and receiving help to keep to familiar routines. Those details matter for a child learning how to take part in a group and manage everyday expectations.

Mathematics feedback in the EYFS is spoken, with photographs and relevant next steps recorded in Evidence Me learning journals. This gives adults a way to capture practical learning rather than relying on written work. Welcome to Nursery meetings include guidance about supporting mathematics at home.

For SEND, mathematics teaching is adapted with advice from the inclusion team, phase SENco and external professionals. Medical care involves welfare assistants working with the class teacher; parents must tell them about their child’s medical conditions. Following sickness or diarrhoea, nursery children must stay away for 48 hours after each episode, a practical consideration when planning family care.

Attending the nursery does not guarantee a Reception place. Families must make a separate Reception application through Hillingdon’s online school admissions route at www.hillingdon.gov.uk/schools. Treat that application as a separate step in your child’s school plans.

Morning Nursery runs from 8.45am to 11.45am; Afternoon Nursery runs from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Full Time Nursery starts at 8.45am and ends at 2.45pm. The full-time option is available to families eligible for the government’s 30 hours of free childcare. That eligibility condition matters when choosing an attendance pattern.

Paid extended hours are also offered, and childcare vouchers are accepted. Contact the school for current charges. Nursery enquiries and applications go through the school office on 0208 573 3453 or cpaoffice@theparkfederation.org. A school visit can be arranged by telephone, giving families a direct way to discuss joining.